Buckle



R. W. O NEIL Feb. 17, 1931.

BUCKLE Filed March 27. 1929 KL Y R WW 4 m Patented Feb." 17, 1931' UNITERICHARD W. ONEIL, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR TO THE SHOE HARD-WARE 00., OF WATER-BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION .OF CONNECTICUTBUCKLE Application filed March 27, 1929. -Serial No. 350,162.

This invention relates to buckles, specially of the type provided with apivoted tongue having a cam adapted to engage a spring associated withthe body of the buckle to hold the tongue in closed or open position.

The tongue of buckles of this type usually has a heel portion disposedat the side of the pivotal axis of the tongue opposite from the camportion thereof. If the tongue is forced beyond its normal openposition, the heel portion exerts a powerful bending action against thespring and permanently bends it away from the body, thereby causing suchlooseness between the spring and the cam thatthey are thereafterincapable of properly cooperating to hold the tongue in either of itstwo positions. It is therefore an object of the present invention toprovide means for preventing the heel of the tongue from causing suchbending.

For a more detailed understanding of the invention reference is to behad to the following specification and the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a buckle incorporating the invention andin which the tongue is shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective illustrating the tongue in openposition; and

Fig. 3 is a modified form of buckle embodying the invention.

Referring at first to Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the body ofthe buckle which is provided with arms 2 which terminate in loops 3forming bearings for a tongue 4 having laterally extending pins 5extending within the loops 3 of the arms 2. The tongue 4 is bent asindicated at 6,to provide a heel portion 7 and a cam 8,.which latter isadapted to cooperate with a flat spring 9 disposed between the arms 20fthe body 1, whereby the tongue 4 may be held in either closed or openposition.

Buckles of this kind are generally cut from sheet metal and pressed toshape. and the spring portion 9 is usually formed as an ins tegral partof the body 1 and extends substantially in the plane thereof. Inordinary use the spring 9 is usually capable of retain ing suiiicientresiliency to satisfactorily cooperate with the cam 8 in holding thetongue in either of its two positions, but if the tongue is swung opento such an extreme extent that the heel 7 is forced against the spring9, there is provided preferably on the tongue 4 a pair of stops in theform of lugs 10 which are disposed closely adjacent to the heel 7 sothat when thetongue 4 is moved to the'position disclosed in Fig. 2,thelugs 10 contact with the body 1 of the buckle, thereby preventingfurther opening of the tongue 4, and the heel 7 from pressingthe spring9 outwardly from the body.

Inthe Fig. 3 embodiment of the'invention the body 1 is provided withlugs 11 which engage the bent portion ,6 of the tongue 4 when the latteris swung to open position, thereby preventing the heel 7 from pressingagainst the spring 9.

. It is obvious from the foregoing description that various alterationsand modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the invention, and it is therefore not intendedto limit the invention except as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

A buckle member comprising a flat body provided with spaced armsterminating in loops, a flat spring intermediate said arms and extendingsubstantially in the plane of rArsnr 7 easier.

v the body, and a tongue pivotally mounted in said loops and having acam portion cooperating with said spring to hold said tongue in openedand closed positions, at least one of said arms being provided with astop extending inwardly towards said spring and adapted to engage saidtongue to prevent the same from bending the spring away from said bodywhen the tongue is swung to its extreme open position.

Signed at \Vaterbury, county of New Ven, State of Connecticut, this 22dday of March, 1929.

RICHARD W. ONEIL.

